Scottish Executive

Agriculture

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to offer farmers early retirement schemes.

Ross Finnie: In preparing the Scottish Rural Development Plan, we consulted widely on whether to introduce an early retirement scheme for farmers. In light of that consultation, we concluded against the introduction of a scheme and concentrated resources instead on measures which would help to sustain the industry. We continue to work closely with the industry to develop a range of measures to assist the recovery from foot-and-mouth disease and I will be considering all proposals which emerge during these discussions.

Agriculture

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what incentives it plans to offer to encourage farmers’ sons or daughters to remain in the industry.

Ross Finnie: There are specific grant schemes operating across Scotland to support farmers and their immediate families in developing and sustaining farm incomes. The schemes provide valuable assistance to farming families in supporting diversification opportunities, both within and outwith agriculture, broadening and sustaining farm incomes. More generally, we are working with the industry and Scottish Enterprise to ensure that farming families have access to expert advice to support and develop their business and technical skills to ensure that they find more ways of making a living within their communities.

Deafblind People

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to improve the assessment process in relation to identification of deafblind children.

Malcolm Chisholm: The Scottish Executive’s report Sensing Progress  reported on social work services for people with sensory impairment - one of the key recommendations in the report is that Future Needs Assessments of children with sensory impairment should be reviewed.

  This year, the Executive has published the Report of the Certification and Registration Working Group (Social Work Services for People with a Sensory Impairment) which highlights that NHS Trusts and local authorities should ensure that full assessments of visual impairment are undertaken by multi-disciplinary teams, and the Scottish Executive will be supporting pilot studies to develop assessment criteria.

  In addition, there is a UK National Screening Committee that advises all the Government departments on screening issues, including advice on neonatal hearing screening and vision screening.

Dyslexia

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it plans to take to make scan/read software available for use in primary schools for children who suffer from dyslexia.

Nicol Stephen: The identification of the most appropriate software for children suffering from dyslexia is carried out at the school or education authority level. Resources provided by the Scottish Executive under the National Grid for Learning programme of the Excellence Fund can be used to purchase such software.

Dyslexia

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it has taken to support further and higher education students who suffer from dyslexia.

Ms Wendy Alexander: The Scottish Executive has allocated £22.6 million over the next three years 2001-04 to take forward the recommendations of the Beattie Committee in relation to helping young people make the transition to post-school education and training or employment. £4.5 million of this has been provided to the Scottish Further Education Funding Council to improve support for students with additional needs in further education including the development of a National Co-ordinating Access Centre, the promotion and development of Inclusiveness Policies and the provision of staff training.

  Students in further education who suffer from dyslexia can claim additional support under the Special Educational Needs Allowance. This provides assistance towards additional study and travel-related expenses arising from the student’s attendance at college which they incur as a result of their disability. The allowance is means-tested but there is no upper limit to the level of support available.

  Students in higher education who suffer from dyslexia, including both part-time and distance learning students who are studying for at least 50% of a full-time equivalent course, are eligible to claim the Disabled Students’ Allowance. This is a non means-tested allowance which provides assistance towards additional expenses students incur as a result of attending their course. The amount paid will depend upon the needs of the student and the requirements of the course and can be up to £1,420 for basic costs and up to £10,755 for non-medical personal help each year. An additional amount, for the duration of the course, of up to £4,255 for specialist equipment can also be provided.

  Students who receive the Disabled Students’ Allowance are also exempt from liability for the Graduate Endowment.

Education

Karen Whitefield (Airdrie and Shotts) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide an update on continuing action to improve the delivery of the National Qualifications system and on its review of the future status of the Scottish Qualifications Authority.

Mr Jack McConnell: I have today written to the convener of the Education, Culture and Sport Committee and I will lodge a copy of my letter with the Parliament’s reference centre.

  I am grateful to all the staff at Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) and everybody throughout Scottish education for the hard work and commitment that have enabled us to secure effective delivery of certification. It is important that work continues on the completion of this year’s diet, and in particular the conduct of the appeals process. The interim appointments of the Chair, some board members, the chief executive and some staff who accepted the challenge of secondment to the SQA in this vital period were due to expire at the end of this month. I am grateful to all of them for agreeing to continue their current roles with SQA for several more months to maintain the focus and stability which is needed. I am especially grateful to the interim chief executive, Bill Morton, who has agreed to delay his return to his career with Scottish Enterprise until November. Over that period an open competition will be conducted to appoint a permanent chief executive.

  The appointment of a permanent chief executive will be necessary irrespective of the future status of the SQA. The Executive has begun an internal review of the options for future status. To avoid unnecessary disruption to the continuing work of the SQA, I will progress this review swiftly and announce the outcome early in the autumn.

  Alongside work on the future of the SQA, the Executive is committed to work on simplification of the National Qualifications Framework, building on the lessons of the first two years. The National Exams Co-ordinator is leading work on implementation of the actions already agreed to achieve that and the preparation of consultation on possible further changes; and this will be the main focus of the next phase of his work.

Elderly People

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much of the money made available for improving services for older people, as announced in the ministerial statement by Susan Deacon on 5 October 2000, was new money.

Malcolm Chisholm: On 5 October the minister announced that an additional £25 million per annum had been set aside to provide free nursing care and that an additional £30 million, £36 million and £60 million would be provided to local authorities in the years 2001-02, 2002-03 and 2003-04 respectively. She also announced that £10 million per annum would be provided on a continuing basis to local authorities to reduce delays to discharge from hospital. The availability of none of these resources had previously been announced.

Health

Nicola Sturgeon (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive which ICD-9 codes are included within its targets to reduce deaths from (a) cancer by 20% and (b) heart disease by 50% by 2010.

Susan Deacon: The ICD-9 codes included within the Scottish Executive Health Department’s target to reduce deaths from cancer by 20% between 1995 and 2010 are codes 140–208. The ICD-10 codes included within this target are codes C00-C97.

  The ICD-9 codes included within the Scottish Executive Health Department’s target to reduce deaths from coronary heart disease by 50% between 1995 and 2010 are codes 410-414. The ICD-10 codes included within this target are codes I20–I25.

Health

Nicola Sturgeon (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether there are any ICD-9 codes for which there is a target to reduce deaths by 2010 other than those for cancer and heart disease.

Susan Deacon: The Scottish Executive Health Department has a target to reduce deaths from cerebrovascular disease by 50% between 1995 and 2010. The ICD-9 codes used for this target are codes 430–438. The ICD-10 codes that are used for this target are codes I60–I69.

Health

Brian Adam (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to make equipment and facilities to deal with obstructive sleep apnoea available across all health board areas.

Susan Deacon: The planning and delivery of health services, including the provision of equipment, is a matter primarily for health boards and NHS Trusts.

  A review of the sleep apnoea service provided by the Sleep Centre in Edinburgh has recently been undertaken by Lothian Health Board and Lothian University Hospitals NHS Trust, with input from other health boards. On the basis of the review, discussions on the way forward are now taking place among the relevant health boards.

Health

Nicola Sturgeon (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the rates of mortality from circulatory disease (ICD-9 codes 390-459 inclusive) were per 100,000 of the population, broken down by health board area, for people under 75 years of age in each of the last three years for which figures are available.

Susan Deacon: The mortality rates from circulatory disease per 100,000 population, by health board, of all persons under the age of 75 years, as defined by ICD-9 codes 390–459 for each of the years 1998 and 1999, and ICD-10 codes I00–I99 for the year 2000, are:

  


Health Board 
  

1998 
  

1999 
  

2000*




ICD-9 
  

ICD-9 
  

ICD-10 
  



Argyll and Clyde 
  

225 
  

219 
  

202 
  



Ayrshire and Arran 
  

206 
  

204 
  

196 
  



Borders 
  

164 
  

165 
  

141 
  



Dumfries and Galloway 
  

210 
  

188 
  

198 
  



Fife 
  

190 
  

176 
  

161 
  



Forth Valley 
  

168 
  

170 
  

164 
  



Grampian 
  

147 
  

145 
  

134 
  



Greater Glasgow 
  

224 
  

204 
  

192 
  



Highland 
  

192 
  

167 
  

190 
  



Lanarkshire 
  

213 
  

203 
  

182 
  



Lothian 
  

166 
  

152 
  

145 
  



Orkney 
  

188 
  

171 
  

144 
  



Shetland 
  

158 
  

112 
  

138 
  



Tayside 
  

187 
  

191 
  

169 
  



Western Isles 
  

192 
  

203 
  

190 
  



Scotland 
  

193 
  

183 
  

172 
  



  * Figures for 2000 are not directly comparable with figures for previous years due to the change from ICD-9 to ICD-10.

Hedges

Phil Gallie (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-12936 by Mr Jim Wallace on 31 January 2001, when it will bring forward legislation regarding high hedges and what other action it will take following the consultation exercise on this issue.

Mr Jim Wallace: On 31 January this year I announced the Executive’s intention to introduce a statutory remedy of last resort, involving complaints to the local authority and enforcement action in appropriate cases, where other avenues had been exhausted. I also made clear that no commitment could be given at that stage as to when legislation might be brought forward. In view of its substantial legislative programme, the Executive cannot at present give a commitment on when legislation on high hedges might be brought forward.

Housing

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when it proposes to set a target date for the implementation of development funding transfers in relation to the new executive agency for housing.

Jackie Baillie: The Scottish Executive is currently working with local authorities and Scottish Homes to agree arrangements for the transfer of development funding to local authorities. We do not intend to set a target date for transfer.

Justice

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people are known to have been injured by air guns in each of the last three years.

Mr Jim Wallace: The information requested is given in Table 9, page 15 of the Statistical Bulletin Recorded Crimes & Offences Involving Firearms, Scotland, 1999 published by the Scottish Executive in September 2000, a copy of which is available in the Parliament’s reference centre (Bib. no. 14877).

Nuclear Power

Fiona McLeod (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will clarify what its power is in relation to the appointment of inspectors under the Radioactive Substances Act 1993; what duties and responsibilities such inspectors have, and to whom they report.

Rhona Brankin: The Scottish Executive does not appoint inspectors under the Radioactive Substances Act 1993 (RSA93). The functions of the chief inspector, formerly appointed under section 4 of RSA93, were transferred to the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) by virtue of the Environment Act 1995. Appointments of persons to exercise those functions are therefore now made by SEPA under section 108 of the 1995 Act. Section 108 sets out in detail the powers of such persons including, for example, powers of entry, investigation, taking of evidence, and enforcement.

Nuclear Power

Fiona McLeod (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what environmental monitoring has been carried out around the Chapelcross Nuclear Power Station since the accident on 5 July 2001; to whom the results of the monitoring have been reported, and whether it will place a copy of these results in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.

Rhona Brankin: This is a matter for the Scottish Environment Protection Agency. The information is not held centrally.

Nuclear Power

Fiona McLeod (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what monitoring takes place of the cooling water discharges from the Chapelcross Nuclear Power Station and who undertakes this.

Rhona Brankin: This is a matter for the Scottish Environment Protection Agency.

Nuclear Power

Fiona McLeod (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Chapelcross Nuclear Power Station has been prosecuted for any infringements of its discharge authorisation licence since 1996 and, if so, when and with what results.

Rhona Brankin: This is a matter for the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA).

  The SEPA website contains information on prosecutions at the following address:

  http://www.sepa.org.uk/envdata/prosecutions/index.htm

Nursing

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to encourage (a) recruitment to the nursing profession and (b) former nurses to return to nursing.

Susan Deacon: I recently announced my intention to bring together nursing leaders and education providers for a "summit" on recruitment and retention.

  In addition Our National Health: A plan for action, a plan for change, makes clear that all NHS employers will be required to meet or exceed best practice guidance on family friendly policies as part of the new Staff Governance Standard. To help employers, guidance on family friendly policies was issued in January covering areas such as flexible working, childcare, breastfeeding and career breaks.

  For the future, negotiations on NHS Pay Modernisation are continuing on a UK basis. The proposed new system will seek to underpin better career progressions, modern conditions of service for staff and will ensure that all staff are rewarded fairly for the work that they do and the contribution that they make rather than the title they hold.

Nursing

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to support student nurses and the training of nurses.

Susan Deacon: Student nurses receive funding support by way of a non means-tested bursary and other allowances where appropriate. Increased awards of around £500 per year were announced in July 2001.

  The Strategy for Nursing and Midwifery in Scotland Caring for Scotland, published in March 2001, sets out specific action to address issues in nurse and midwifery education and training including the availability, use and standards of practice placements.

  Support and co-ordination of continuing professional development is currently provided by the National Board for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting for Scotland (NBS) and will continue and develop under the new Special Health Board being created to provide an overarching education and training body for healthcare staff when the NBS is abolished on 31 March 2002.

Police

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to increase the recruitment of police officers.

Mr Jim Wallace: The number of police officers in Scotland reached an all time high in March 2001. The funding made available to the police service, which is more than a third higher in real terms than 10 years ago, is intended to sustain this level. These resources, combined with the resources made available to improve intelligence-led policing, should significantly enhance the ability of the police to prevent crime and catch criminals.

Regional Selective Assistance

Brian Adam (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-16761 by Ms Wendy Alexander on 17 July 2001, which projects due to receive Regional Selective Assistance have been delayed and why.

Mr Alasdair Morrison: Expenditure on Regional Selective Assistance (RSA) is forecast using a computer model which takes account of existing commitments and the expected future flow of new cases, by financial year. The forecasting model operates on an aggregate basis, and does not project increases or decreases in expenditure by individual project.

  However, as revised projected spend on a small number of very large cases can influence the accuracy of the forecasts such cases are reviewed on an individual basis. One such recent revision arose from the planned closure of Motorola’s Easter Inch facility. Other projects will have been delayed—and others may have been advanced—but the forecasting model does not provide for detailed analysis.

Smoking

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what impact growing up in a smoking environment has on the physical and intellectual development of a child.

Malcolm Chisholm: There is evidence that children exposed to passive smoking are at increased risk of serious respiratory illness, asthma attacks, and middle ear disease. Infants are at an increased risk of sudden infant death syndrome.

  The World Health Organisation have published evidence that children of smokers perform more poorly in school than children of non-smokers.

Student Finance

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will detail all available public sources of (a) further and (b) higher education student support.

Ms Wendy Alexander: Information is not held centrally on all available public sources of further and higher education student support. A variety of sources of public funding are available to Scottish students, and students studying in Scotland, depending on the type, level, mode and place of study. Bodies from whom public funding is available include the Scottish Executive, further education colleges, higher education institutions, local authorities, the Further and Higher Education Funding Councils, the United Kingdom Research Councils, United Kingdom Government Departments and the European Commission. A wide range of public sector bodies also provide support to students from public funds in their capacity as employers.

  The Scottish Executive has published information on the support available for students in higher education through the Student Awards Agency for Scotland. Copies of the booklets have been placed in the Parliament’s reference centre. In addition to detailing the funding available from SAAS, these booklets also highlight the main additional sources of support. In further education, information on the discretionary support provided by each institution is published by each further education college.

  In cases where applicants are not eligible for the support payable by the Student Awards Agency for Scotland, advice is always provided about other types of support which may be available to them. These include Career Development Loans, discretionary bursaries from local authorities and Individual Learning Accounts.

Student Loans

Brian Adam (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-16761 by Ms Wendy Alexander on 17 July 2001, what changes have taken place in the accounting treatment of student loans.

Ms Wendy Alexander: On new loans the budget makes provision to reflect estimated future write-offs for non-recovery and the difference between the cost of capital charge and the interest earned over the whole life of the loan. The data underpinning these estimates is reviewed on a regular basis. The most recent review indicates that the estimated provision should be at a rate 5% less than that previously calculated.

Student Loans

Brian Adam (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-16761 by Ms Wendy Alexander on 17 July 2001, whether the changes in the accounting procedure for student loans have been applied elsewhere in the budget and, if so, where and to what effect.

Ms Wendy Alexander: The changes in the accounting procedure for student loans have no application elsewhere in the budget.

Student Loans

Brian Adam (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-16761 by Ms Wendy Alexander on 17 July 2001, whether the changes in the accounting procedure for student loans will have any impact on the repayment procedures and costs for individual students.

Ms Wendy Alexander: No.

Tourism

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the remits relating to transport are of (a) the Executive, (b) Scottish Enterprise, (c) Highlands and Islands Enterprise and (d) the Scottish Tourist Board.

Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Executive is responsible for transport other than in those areas set out in Schedule 5 (E) of the Scotland Act 1998.

  The remits of Scottish Enterprise, Highlands and Islands Enterprise and VisitScotland do not extend to transport.

Transport

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has made or plans to make to Central Railway plc or Her Majesty’s Government on the possibility of a lorries-on-train rail link between west central Scotland and the Channel Tunnel.

Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with the United Kingdom Government on a wide range of issues, including European and International railway services.